The following positions are to be elected at the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria 2026 General Election:
- North East Region General Seat (minimum 3 General Members to be elected)
- North West Region General Seat (minimum 3 General Members to be elected)
- South East Region General Seat (minimum 3 General Members to be elected)
- South West Region General Seat (minimum 3 General Members to be elected)
- Metropolitan Region General Seat (minimum 10 General Members to be elected)
This election will be run in accordance with the Statewide Treaty Act, the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria Election Rules, and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria Constitution.
Enrol to vote
Visit www.firstpeoplesvic.org/enrol/ to enrol or update your details.
If you need assistance with your enrolment you can contact [email protected] for help.
Nominate to be a Candidate
If you’ve ever thought about standing for election to the Assembly yourself, now’s your chance!
Any eligible First Peoples are encouraged to nominate to run in the election. To stand as a candidate you must:
- Be registered on the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria’s Electoral Roll as an Eligible Elector
- Be aged 18 or older at the time you submit this form
- Be a Victorian Traditional Owner
- Not be disqualified from acting as a director of a company under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
- Not be in prison, the subject of an order under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 (Vic) or restricted by bail, remand, parole or other legal mechanisms from travelling within Victoria
- Be able to comply with the rights and responsibilities of a Member of the Assembly, as set out in the constitution and the Members’ Charter
- Provide us with any further information necessary to confirm your eligibility to stand as a candidate.
Nominations open on Monday 16 February 2026 at 9.00am AEDT. To nominate, complete the nomination form and email, post or hand deliver it to the details on the nomination form by 5.00pm AEDT on Monday 2 March 2026. The nomination form will be available from 16 February at 9.00am on this webpage. You can also request a hard copy of the nomination form by emailing [email protected]
The announcement and publication of candidates will occur on Monday 9 March 2026 by 5.00pm AEDT.
If you want to run in the election, you will need to make yourself familiar with the Election Rules and the Assembly Constitution.
Voting
It’s not compulsory to vote, but your voice is important and we want to hear it! You’ll be able to vote online via an email address, via SMS, in person at one of our polling booths or via postal vote from Saturday 21 March to Sunday 12 April 2026. Make sure your contact details are up to date and please contact us on 1300 133 033 if you would like us to send your ballot paper in the post.
| Voting type | Key information |
| Online voting | If your Assembly enrolment is linked to an email address or a mobile number, you will receive your voting link via email and/or SMS when polls open on Saturday 21 March. If you would like to vote online but you have not received a voting link, please contact the Returning Officer before 4pm on Sunday 12 April 2026. Once you receive your voting link via email or SMS, you can vote online any time before voting closes at 6pm on Sunday 12 April 2026. |
| In-person voting | If you want to vote in person, we will have voting booths across the state from 21 March to 11 April. Please check the election webpage closer to polling opening to see when we will be near you. |
| Postal voting | To request a postal vote, please contact 1300 133 033 by Saturday 28 March. You will receive this in the mail and will need to post your ballot back to the Assembly so it is received before Tuesday 21 April. |
Votes will be counted on Wednesday 22 April from 10am at the Treaty Authority offices, Level 7/51 Langridge Street, Collingwood.
If you have any questions about the election process, please contact the Returning Officer.
Gavin Ryan
Returning Officer
[email protected]
040 333 6829
To find out more about the Treaty Elections click the link below
Important Election Dates
| What’s happening? | When is it happening? |
| Enrol to vote in this election | Any time until close of voting (12 April 2026) |
| Notice of Election issued | Monday 2 February 2026 |
| Candidate information session – North-East Region | Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 6.30pm |
| Candidate information session – North-West Region | Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 7.30pm |
| Candidate information session – South-East Region | Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 6.30pm |
| Candidate information session – South-West Region | Wednesday 11 February 2026 at 7.30pm |
| Candidate information session – Metro-Region | Thursday 12 February 2026 at 6.30pm |
| Candidate nominations open | Monday 16 February 2026 at 9.00am |
| Candidate campaign materials support opens | Tuesday 17 February 2026 at 9.00am |
| Candidate information session – alternate session for candidates from any region | Thursday26 February 2026 at 7.00pm |
| Candidate nominations close | Monday 2 March 2026 at 5.00pm |
| Candidate statements due to be submitted and uploaded to website | Thursday 5 March 2026 |
| Announcement and publication of candidates | Monday 9 March 2026 at 5.00pm |
| Ballot draw (online) for all regions | Tuesday 10 March 2026 from 11.00am |
| Meet the candidate events | 10.11.12 March 2026 |
| Voting opening day | Saturday 21 March 2026 8.00am (online votes open) |
| First day of in-person polling | Saturday 21 March2026 |
| Last day to request a postal vote | Saturday 28 March 2026 |
| Candidate campaign materials support closes | Friday 3 April 2026 at 5.00pm |
| Last day of in-person polling | Saturday 11 April 2026 |
| Voting Closing (all voting closes) and postal votes to be sent | Sunday 12 April 2026 at 6:00pm |
| Scrutineer Training Session 1 (online) | Tuesday 14 April 2026 at 7pm |
| Scrutineer Training Session 2 (online) | Thursday 16 April 2026 at 7pm |
| Postal votes must be received | Tuesday 21 April 2026 at 6.00pm |
| Votes counted | Wednesday 22 April 2026 |
| Candidates informed of results by transitional Electoral Officer | By Thursday 23 April 2026 at 5.00pm |
| Results announced by the transitional Electoral Officer | As soon as practicable after the votes have been counted (must be before 30 April 2026) |
